cIn China, a majority of the highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (HP-PRRSV) strains were seeded by the 2006 outbreak. However, the most recently emerged (2013-2014) HP-PRRSV strain has a very different genetic background. It is a NADC30-like PRRSV strain recently introduced from North America that has undergone genetic exchange with the classic HP-PRRSV strains in China. Subsequent isolation and characterization of this variant suggest high pathogenicity, so it merits special attention in control and vaccine strategies. P orcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is characterized by respiratory distress in nursery swine and reproductive failure in sows and has resulted in huge economic losses to the global swine industry since its first recognition in the United States in 1987 (1). In China, highly pathogenic PRRSV (HP-PRRSV) has been circulating and predominating in the field since the initial outbreak in 2006 and has resulted in the loss of more than one million pigs (2-5). Retrospective studies of that outbreak have shown that the highly pathogenic variant emerged from less pathogenic PRRSV strains in China (6), which were initially introduced from North America in the 1990s. CH-1a was the earliest representative of this group (7). Following the outbreak, more-stringent biosecurity controls and a targeted immunization campaign were undertaken to limit HP-PRRS in China.However, despite these measures, HP-PRRSV has experienced recurrent population expansions since the initial outbreak. One such reemergence was associated with genetic exchange between two HP-PRRSV viruses circulating in the field (8). Another recent outbreak (2013)(2014) is probably in the early stage of emergence. It has occurred in several provinces of China and is characterized by high fever, cough, anorexia, red discoloration of the body, and blue ears. Diseased pigs also have multiple visceral lesions. Their lungs display consolidation, and their lymph nodes are enlarged and hemorrhagic. The rates of morbidity and mortality due to this new HP-PRRSV are very high. An affected farm in Jilin Province had a morbidity rate of 100% and a mortality rate of 76.6% (230/ 300).We obtained the representative open reading frame 5 (ORF5) sequences from two farms that experienced the disease, i.e., JL580 and HLJ58 from Jilin Province and Heilongjiang Province, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses using the PhyML version 3.0 software (9) suggested that these viruses are distantly related to the classic HP-PRRSV strains in China, which belong to lineage 8 (Fig. 1A). Instead, they nested deeply within diverse lineage 1, which originated in Canada and is now prevalent in both the United States and Canada (10). Interestingly, the virus is also closely related to a group represented by NADC30, a moderately virulent strain isolated in 2008 in the United States (11). Furthermore, the phylogenetic topology of the diversity surrounding this new HP-PRRSV suggests, with high resolution, a transmission chain from Canada to the Unit...

Recently pseudorabies outbreaks have occurred in many vaccinated farms in China. To identify genetic characteristics of pseudorabies virus (PRV) strains, we obtained the genomic sequences of PRV strains HeN1 and JS, which were compared to 4 PRV genomes and 729 partial gene sequences. PRV strains isolated in China showed marked sequence divergence compared to European and American strains. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that for the first time PRV can be divided into 2 distinct clusters, with Chinese strains being genotype II and PRVs isolated from other countries being genotype I. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis confirmed differences between HeN1 and Bartha strains, as did the presence of unique insertion/deletion polymorphisms and microsatellites. This divergence between the two genotypes may have been generated from long-term, independent evolution, which could also explain the low efficacy of the Bartha vaccine in protecting pigs infected with genotype II PRV.

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SRC is a distinct type of gastric carcinoma in terms of clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis.

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BackgroundConnective tissue growth factor (CTGF) has been shown to be implicated in tumor development and progression. However, the role of CTGF in gastric cancer remains largely unknown.ResultsIn this study, we showed that CTGF was highly expressed in gastric cancer tissues compared with matched normal gastric tissues. The CTGF expression in tumor tissue was associated with histologic grade, lymph node metastasis and peritoneal dissemination (P < 0.05). Patients with positive CTGF expression had significantly lower cumulative postoperative 5 year survival rate than those with negative CTGF expression (22.9% versus 48.1%, P < 0.001). We demonstrated that knockdown of CTGF expression significantly inhibited cell growth of gastric cancer cells and decreased cyclin D1 expression. Moreover, knockdown of CTGF expression also markedly reduced the migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells and decreased the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9. Animal studies revealed that nude mice injected with the CTGF knockdown stable cell lines featured a smaller number of peritoneal seeding nodules than the control cell lines.ConclusionsThese data suggest that CTGF plays an important role in cell growth and invasion in human gastric cancer and it appears to be a potential prognostic marker for patients with gastric cancer.

In recent years, the overuse of antibiotics has become very serious. Many pathogenic bacteria have become resistant to them, with serious potential health consequences. Thus, it is urgent that we develop new antibiotic drugs. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are important endogenous antibacterial molecules that contribute to immunity. Most have spectral antibacterial properties and do not confer drug resistance. In this paper, an 11-residue peptide (LFcinB18–28) with a sequence of KCRRWQWRMKK was modified by amino acid substitution to form a symmetrical amino acid sequence. The antibacterial activities and mechanisms of action of engineered peptides including KW-WK (KWRRWQWRRWK), FP-PF (FPRRWQWRRPF), FW-WF (FWRRWQWRRWF), and KK-KK (KKRRWQWRRKK) were investigated. The four engineered peptides could more effectively inhibit bacteria than the original peptide, LFcinB18–28. This suggested that a symmetrical amino acid sequence might enhance the antibacterial activity of AMPs. However, only peptides KW-WK, FP-PF, and KK-KK were safe; FW-WF displayed hemolytic activity. The engineered peptides shared cationic and amphipathic characteristics that facilitated interactions with the anionic microbial membranes, leading to disruption of membrane integrity and permeabilizing microbial membranes, resulting in cell death. Therefore, a symmetrical amino acid sequence and related structural parameters offer an alternative approach to the design of AMPs. This will provide a scientific basis for the design and synthesis of new AMPs.